Tragic Crash Claims Life During Easter Long Weekend
A mother-of-four from Victoria has died following a suspected “hooning” crash in Queensland, marking one of several fatalities recorded during the start of the Easter long weekend. The incident occurred on Saturday night when the 51-year-old woman was a passenger in a Ford hatchback traveling on School Road in Logan Reserve, south of Brisbane.
The vehicle was hit head-on by a Ford Falcon utility, which was allegedly being driven at high speed by a 17-year-old girl. Police reported that the ute may have been without headlights or registration plates while overtaking three vehicles on the wrong side of the road. The victim, who had been returning from a family celebration, died at the scene.
Her 21-year-old niece sustained serious leg and back injuries, while a one-year-old child in the car miraculously escaped harm.
Acting Inspector Peter Venz described the incident as “tragic and avoidable,” noting that it occurred as police were conducting a large-scale crackdown on an unsanctioned car event in the area. He stated, “I won’t comment as to whether this vehicle is linked to that hooning event; that will form part of our investigation.”
“There are reports that the vehicle had no number plates on and was possibly unregistered, and there were reports that the Ford utility may have had its lights off at the time of overtaking the other vehicles.”
Police are currently reviewing social media footage as part of their investigation into the crash. This tragedy was among several deadly incidents that occurred within 24 hours in the state, prompting a stern warning for drivers to slow down and obey road rules.
“People just please slow down,” Insp Venz said. “Don’t be in a hurry to get to where you have to go. Consider other road users … just stay safe when you get behind the wheel of a car.”
The first fatality occurred about 5pm at East Palmerston in far-north Queensland after a 31-year-old man lost control of his quad bike on a local road. His green Kawasaki struck a pole and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nearly two hours later, a black Honda motorbike collided with a Kia Cerato in Thornlands, about 30km southeast of the Brisbane city centre. The 18-year-old motorbike rider died after being transported to hospital with critical injuries. The Kia driver was uninjured.
Several other motorbike riders were killed over the weekend, including two men in a collision in the Adelaide Hills suburb of Paracombe about 2.30pm on Saturday.
On Friday, a motorbike rider was killed in a single-vehicle crash about 1.20pm on the Monaro Highway south of Cooma, in southern NSW. A Harley Davidson rider was also killed after hitting a traffic light early on Friday morning in the inner-northern Adelaide suburb of Ovingham.
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury emphasized that Easter was a time for people to take more care than usual on the road, as they were often traveling long distances. “They’re often driving on roads that they’re unfamiliar with … so it’s a different type of driving, and it requires people to be extra careful,” he told AAP.
